Discover the remarkable conservation journey led by Save Vietnam’s Wildlife (SVW), a driving force in protecting Vietnam’s wildlife. Under the auspices of the Saving Threatened Wildlife project, funded by USAID and awarded to WWF, SVW has recently completed a 6-month program which helped to fund our ongoing activities focused on wildlife rescue and rehabilitation. This article celebrates the project’s noteworthy accomplishments and the transformative initiatives that continue to shape the future of wildlife preservation in Vietnam.
SVW’s commitment to conservation is encapsulated in its mission to develop leadership, enhance law enforcement, and reduce consumer demand. Through a strategic sub-grant, SVW has intensified pangolin rescue efforts, ensuring compliance with welfare standards, and bolstering institutional capacity. The overarching objectives include elevating pangolin care, fostering collaboration within the Vietnam Wildlife Rescue Network, and contributing to the formulation of essential veterinary guidelines for various species.
Over a span of six months, from April to October 2023, SVW executed an impressive 40 wildlife rescue missions across seven provinces. These missions resulted in the successful retrieval of over 100 animals representing 18 different species, including 32 pangolins, 18 carnivores, 42 reptiles, and 10 primates. Achieving success rates ranging from 82% to over 90%, SVW released 25 pangolins and other species back into their natural habitat, making a significant impact on the restoration of wildlife populations in Vietnam’s forests.
SVW’s veterinarian is taking care of a Pangolin at the rescue center in Cuc Phuong National Park. Photo © SVW
Simultaneously, SVW has actively championed the establishment of the Vietnam Wildlife Rescue Network. This initiative involves crafting operational regulations, conducting training courses, finalizing logos, and collaborating with media agencies for website development. The recently launched network website, featuring a centralized database, signifies a significant leap forward in coordinating and streamlining rescue efforts.
Simultaneously, SVW has established the Vietnam Wildlife Rescue Network (WRN) to support and enhance the capacity of wildlife rescue units. The network coordinates specialized activities among its members, facilitating the prompt solutions for the timely care of individual wildlife specimens, improving the efficiency of wildlife rescue efforts in Vietnam, and other supporting activities.
As part of the project, SVW implements various veterinary activities, such as assessing infrastructure conditions and caring for wildlife at rescue centers that are members of the Wildlife Rescue Network in Vietnam. The goal is to develop standardized documents, including quarantine protocol, animal rescue procedure, captive husbandry guidelines, and biosafety regulations. This effort aims to create a valuable reference document for all network members.
A training course on Procedures for rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing wild animals at Cuc Phuong National Park. Photo © SVW
Within the framework of the Saving Threatened Wildlife project, SVW has received additional valuable resources to achieve several important objectives in wildlife conservation. These objectives include comprehensive rescue operations, the successful recovery of various animal species, and the establishment of a network – WRN to strengthen the conservation of wildlife in Vietnam.
